


The Spider

by EveandJohnny



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 15:48:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14240610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EveandJohnny/pseuds/EveandJohnny
Summary: The fearless and highly decorated Jaeger Pilot Raleigh Becket, who once even combated alone against a gigantic beast from another universe, who isn’t afraid of a hallway fight in front of the Marshal or, speaking of which, dares to dissent with said Marshal - this very Ranger could be afraid of a tiny spider?





	The Spider

_“Aaaahhhhh!”_

The sudden scream coming from around the corner nearly gives Chuck a heart attack. He composes himself with a deep breath, then sticks his head out in the alleyway. From down the hallway comes Mako worriedly running towards her quarters.

“Have you heard that, too?” she asks in passing and grasps his wrist to pull him along. 

“Yeah, I’ve no clue where it came from, though” he says, letting himself get dragged after her.

They stop when they reach the approximate location, looking around confused. Then they hear another scream.

“ _Nyaahhh_!!” which is followed by a tirade of pleas. “Go away, just, please go and harass somebody else with your presence. See, there’s the door, be a good boy and just - _ahh- leave_!”

Chuck squints, then his most shit-eating grin lights up his face. “Is that Becket?”

Mako slowly nods as she recognizes the voice of her co-pilot. “It is. But I don’t see what’s so funny about it. He clearly seems to be in distress.” She walks up to the door of the other Ranger and opens it slowly. First, she doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Raleigh’s room is organized as ever, though it’s hard to bring chaos to the handful of belongings Raleigh still has.

A relieved “Mako, good that you’re here” catches her attention and she looks up. Raleigh crouches on the desk in the farthest corner, shivering, and sweat glistens on his forehead. With a shaky finger he points to the floor. Mako follows it with her eyes and stops when she sees a rather diminutive spider tumbling over the metal floor.

“Can you get that bastard out for me?” he asks and still backs away a little more.

Mako inspects the tiny insect for a couple of seconds before she replies “But they are harmless. They don’t even bite.”

“Don’t, huh, don’t care”, Raleigh whispers.

Chuck, who has been watching the drama before him with unfettered glee, finally says “Are you telling me that the fearless and highly decorated Jaeger Pilot Rayleigh Becket, who once even combated alone against a gigantic beast from another universe, who isn’t afraid of a hallway fight in front of the Marshal or, speaking of which, dares to dissent with said Marshal - that this very Ranger is afraid of _a tiny spider_?” His voice is basically dripping with schadenfreude. 

Raleigh’s eyes go wide in horror as he spots Chuck in the door frame. “For fuck’s sake, Hansen, what do you do here?”

He gets a chuckle in return. “I heard thy distressed calling, mylady, and I’m thy knight in shining armour thy called for. I’m here to safe thy!”

Raleigh growls and swings his fist but nearly loses his balance while doing so.

“Stop teasing him, Chuck”, Mako scolds. While he had been making promises, Mako got down to action and picked up the little spider. Now she looks around for a suitable container.

When Raleigh notices that Mako is walking around his room with the spider on her hand he practically topples off the desk. “Mako, wow, how do you dare to touch _it_?”

She glances over him as she lets the insect fall into a glass she took from the nightstand. “It’s just a cute little spider, nothing to be afraid of. Though I know that arachnophobia is a recognized fear. I’ll bring it outside for you.” She shakes the glass a little, then walks out of the room.

Chuck and Raleigh size each other up and down, then Chuck sighs and extends his hand. Raleigh looks at it with a frown.

“Well, how long do intend to be stuck up there? Or should I thoroughly search your room for you in case another spider hides somewhere in the shadows?” Chuck snarls irritatedly. 

Raleigh finally grasps his hand and lets himself get helped down. “Thanks” he mumbles so quietly that Chuck hardly hears it. 

But when he looks up he sees the Australian Ranger grinning. “You’re very welcome, _Rayleigh_. Next time you have problems with intruding insects just call me and I’ll take care of them.”

Raleigh rolls his eyes. “But you didn’t do anything. Mako took the spider out.”

Chuck shrugs his shoulders. “Just because she’s so impatient. Now lets get down to the mess. It’s nearly lunch time.”

Raleigh shoots him another look, then follows him out of the room and locks the door behind him.

***

When he comes back from a meeting with the Marshal he discovers a crowd that has gathered in front of his room. They murmur and whisper to each other, pointing curiously at his door. Some chuckle exilharatedly, others seem to be genuinely confused. The whispers grow louder when he pushes through the crowd. Then he finally sees it. 

A big sign is pinned to the door. On white background is painted a red circle connected with a red stripe. Crossed out by the red stripe is a black, menacing looking spider with enourmous pincers and a disgustingly haired body. The writing below says “All spiders of the Shatterdome, keep clear!”

Raleigh’s eyes narrow when he reads it, then he rips the sign off. “I will kill him!” he mutters to himself. “I will kill him with my bare hands. Chuck Hansen is a dead man!”

**Author's Note:**

> I had watched the episode "Game, Set and Murder" from season 3 of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries in which, to everyone's astonishment, the absolute fearless Phryne Fisher shows a significant arachnophobia. And I thought: wouldn't it be hilarious if Raleigh acted the same way? Yes, yes, it would.


End file.
